


Brothers

by dragonsFall



Series: Mutants [13]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Mutants, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Human Experimentation, Inaccurate Adoption Process, Marco just has a healing factor in this one, Please let me know if something needs/should be tagged, Thatch doesn't want to be separated from Marco, Thatch has shadow manipulation but loses it when he gets older, implied/referenced child experimentation, they've been through a lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:48:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28577754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonsFall/pseuds/dragonsFall
Summary: The adoption of Whitebeards first sons. Two boys that had been through hell together that refused to be separated.
Relationships: Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco & Shirohige | Whitebeard | Edward Newgate, Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco & Thatch, Shirohige | Whitebeard | Edward Newgate & Thatch
Series: Mutants [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1894681
Comments: 6
Kudos: 41





	Brothers

“Thank you for coming to see us, Mr. Newgate. We’ve had… trouble finding homes for these two kids. You’re the last person we’ve contacted to try and at least foster them” Explained the kind woman as she led the giant of a man to her office. Once there, she settled herself behind her desk. The man known as Edward Newgate, commonly called Whitebeard, would sit across from her. The chair creaked beneath him as he got settled. “We thought you might be able to take at least one of them if not both”

When the man across from her didn’t speak, she continued. “We’ve managed to find a home for the younger of the two boys more than once but he refuses to leave the other behind. Since he's younger… more people are inclined to take him. Unfortunately, they don’t want to take the older boy. I don’t think he wants to be separated either” 

She sighed heavily then began again. “After everything they’ve been through… It’s—“

“I’ll take them both” Interrupted Whitebeard, a smile forming on his mustached face.

“You’ll… you’ll take both of them?!”

A mighty chuckle came from the man. “Of course! If they don’t want to be separated then who am I to separate them?”

“That’s… that’s wonderful!” The woman quickly shuffled around in her desk, producing two folders. One was thicker than the other. She also produced some paperwork. All three items would be placed before the giant man. “Before we make any final decisions, we ask that you review these files then fill this out. I’ll go and get the boys so you can meet them”

She would hurry out of the room, clearly eager to finally get a home for her two charges. He watched her go then turned to what had been placed in front of him.

Whitebeard opened up one of the two files he had been given. A blond boy of about ten years old stared back at him. He looked bored. The boy’s picture was paper clipped to the thick stack of papers in the file. Marco was written neatly where the name section was. The lack of a last name wasn’t surprising considering where these kids had come from. 

He had heard about the lab bust. All those kids… He shook his head and continued reading.

Whitebeard read through the approximate age and guessed birth date including an estimation on how long he had been with the lab. 9 years was the guess. The mutation they had managed to find out were listed. A healing factor was the only one. A mutation that was considered rare. 

Notes from a check-up showed that Marco was malnourished but otherwise healthy. There were notes on what kind of diet he was on to get him to where a kid his age should be. A psych evaluation suggested that he was selectively mute and displayed self-destructive tendencies. Another note explained a verbal tic they had noticed when the boy did speak. Marco added “yoi” to the end of his sentences.

As the giant read through the file, he felt as if he was going to be sick. The researchers had done things that should have never been done to a child.  _ A child _ ! Infected with multiple deadly illnesses, limbs, and organs removed to see if they would grow back and placed in scenarios any ordinary child would not have survived.

Whitebeard turned the page and found a collection of photos. His eyes would focus on a pair of them. A bird of blue fire rising from a blond boy who was on his hands and knees in an empty room. The second featured that same bird coming at the camera with talons outstretched. It was strange that they didn’t note that as another mutation. Perhaps they thought there was another child present or the photo had been doctored.

Whitebeard would close the file he had just been looking at. He swallowed the urge to hunt down who had harmed these children. To ensure that they suffered as much as they made these two boys suffer. He doubted he would be able to fight the urge if he looked at the second file.

Despite this, he would pick it up and open it up. A smiling brunette boy was photographed. There were a pair of bandages by his left eye, suggesting an injury. He looked to be about seven. A glance to the page beneath the photo showed that this boy's name was Thatch. Whitebeard could see why someone would want to take him home. 

Much like Marco's file, there was an estimated age and a guess at when he was born. The guess on how long he was with the lab was set at three years. Just below that was his mutation. Shadow manipulation. Another one that was considered to be rare.

Thatch was malnourished much like Marco. However, there were some notes on organs that needed a close eye kept on them. This included the kidneys, lungs, stomach, and heart. Despite this, it suggested that he was in good enough health to be fostered or adopted. A psych evaluation suggested that he had abandonment issues or separation anxiety that needed to be worked with. Whitebeard had to wonder if previous candidates had skimmed Thatch’s file instead of fully reading it.

Reading further revealed the sorts of things the lab had put this poor child through. Tests to see if he could animate something through their shadows. Inanimate objects, animals, or people. Living or dead. He had also been used as a test subject for experimental drugs that were believed to help with his ability or to turn him into the weapon they were seeking. These in turn would have unforeseen consequences. 

Nausea threatened to overwhelm the man as he closed the file. There were no pictures for him to look at for Thatch. He didn’t even know if he wanted to see them if they were there. What was available must have been what they managed to scavenge from the now shut down lab. The two boys had deserved better than what life had given to them. He wasn’t going to change his mind about taking them.

As Whitebeard began to fill out the paperwork, he began to make plans for the two boys that would be coming home with him. Ways that he could help them get used to the new environment and tackle their individual issues. No matter what happened, he would not give up on either one of them. They deserved a loving home and someone that would care about them.

As he finished up the paperwork he had been given, he heard the door click open. The woman from earlier entered with the two boys trailing behind her. The little brunette was free of the bandage that had been in his picture, a scar in its place. His little hands were wrapped around the arm of the taller blond that was with him. He had to wonder if the blond had been dragged to every meeting that had occurred to try and get them a loving home. Told multiple times that he was unwanted. Had Thatch tried to convince the families before to take both of them?

“Thatch, this nice man will be taking you home” Started the woman. “Marco will--”

“I’m not going!” Shouted the little brunette boy, his hands tightening on the arm of the blond next to him. “I’m not leaving my brother! He’s all I have and you can’t make me leave him! I’m not going!”

“Thatch—!” Started the caretaker, her tone scolding. She seemed annoyed that she hadn’t gotten a chance to finish.

“It’s alright, son” Whitebeard interrupted, smiling at the scowling child. “We aren’t leaving him here. You’re both coming”

The scowl melted off of Thatch’s face to be replaced with wide eyes and a trembling lip at  _ finally _ finding someone willing to take his brother too. Marco bore a similar expression of shock although it didn't seem like he was going to cry. “You mean--?”

“I do. Let’s go home”

Thatch loosened one of his hands on Marco’s arm so that Whitebeard could take it. Compared to the young boys, the large man’s hands must have seemed like bear paws. So small and fragile in his. The other would loosen and slip down to the blond boy’s hand.

Together they would make their way out of the building the two boys thought they would be spending the rest of their lives in. A home had been found for them. A home where they would be free to be the children they were and loved dearly regardless of what obstacles may come.

**Author's Note:**

> Officially have a writing Tumblr! panicswriting is the name of the blog! Feel free to drop by and leave a request!


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